Ruby Tuesday was born out of a $10,000 endowment Sandy Beall had received from a friend and operator of several Knoxville campus, and although the building still stands, the restaurant has since closed.

Over the subsequent decade, Ruby Tuesday extended their footprint with a new location opening about every nine months. In April 1982, Sandy sold the expanded 16-unit Ruby Tuesday chain to [7]

Morrison Inc. was renamed Morrison Restaurants Inc. in 1992 to reflect the importance of their lucrative restaurant investments. Additionally, the company realigned their dining division with a new name, the Ruby Tuesday Group.Morrison Health Care Inc., and Morrison’s Fresh Cooking Inc.

Ruby Tuesday Inc. became the legal successor to Morrison Restaurants Inc. and was incorporated in [11]

In August 2007, Ruby Tuesday Inc. ventured back into other concepts with their newly acquired Asian dining restaurant, Wok Hay.[1]

In September 2010, Ruby Tuesday Inc. continued its venture into other concepts with an agreement to license the Lime Fresh Mexican Grill brand. Earlier the same year, Ruby Tuesday also acquired the development rights to Truffles Grill and introduced their home-grown Marlin & Ray’s Seafood & Sunsets concept.2011 Annual Report:

As of May 31, 2011, we owned and operated one Marlin & Ray’s, one Truffles, and two Wok Hay restaurants. We are currently evaluating the conversion of certain lower performing Ruby Tuesday concept restaurants to these concepts. We currently anticipate converting approximately six to eight company-owned Ruby Tuesday concept restaurants to the Marlin & Ray’s, Truffles, or Wok Hay concepts in fiscal 2012. Additionally, we anticipate opening one to two new restaurants and approximately seven to nine smaller, inline Lime restaurants in fiscal year 2012.

In the summer of 1998, Ruby Tuesday relocated its main headquarters from Mobile, Alabama to Maryville, Tennessee, just 15 miles south of where the company had been founded. This location contains their Restaurant Support Center and an on-site training facility, called the Center for Leadership Excellence (formerly known as WOW-U).[10] These facilities are used as an internal troubleshooting department, development center, test kitchen, and corporate office for the company’s executives, restaurant managers, and chefs.[4]

Throughout the first half of the company history, the chain mainly located itself in or near shopping malls. Starting in the early 1990s, the company adjusted its distribution strategy by including more freestanding locations. This shift changed the brand into a destination spot, and also provided the concept with more opportunities for growth.[8]

For much of its history, Ruby Tuesday had little, if any, advertising. By 2002, the company found itself combating traffic and sales losses at many of its locations. This caused the company to change course and introduce coupons at selected sites.[25]

In 2007, the company began a series of significant changes to its [27]

Ruby Tuesday CEO Sandy Beall touched on the transformation in his letter to stakeholders in the company’s 2007 Annual Report:

Elevating Ruby Tuesday above the crowd to a memorable, high-quality dining experience is critical to our growth and success. We are engaged in a three-year plan to reposition, reinvent and reinvigorate the Ruby Tuesday brand. We began by bringing our guests fresh, exciting new menu choices, then raised our standards of service, and are now creating an innovative new look and style for each and every restaurant. This revitalization will appeal to our loyal core guests while attracting a new generation of consumers.

In 2008, Ruby Tuesday marketed an advertising campaign to show how radical their recent changes were. On August 5, over “live” streaming internet video, a demolition crew was supposed to implode the final “old Ruby Tuesday” to cap off the brand’s commitment of change in front of a small crowd in Mount Holly, Ohio. However, to the crowd’s shock, the “restaurant” next door (Cheeky’s Bar and Grill, which looked like a typical casual dining chain) was demolished.[28]

Following the events, the senior VP of marketing for Ruby Tuesday (in actuality, an actor) posted a written apology on the company’s website and videotaped a formal apology that was broadcast on television. As it turned out, the idea was merely an elaborate marketing ploy to raise attention to the newly remodeled restaurants. The implosion was actually on a miniature set staffed by a Hollywood special effects crew, and the “live” event was actually pre-recorded in Harriman, Tennessee. The two films were then edited together to make it look like an accident.[29]

The remodel and its accompanying changes came at an awful time for the chain. A [31]

In 2012, yet another advertising campaign was announced to analysts to boost guest perception. It included a reintroduction of television advertising and a continued shift to convert under-performing stores.[32]

The company was the first large national casual dining chain in the country to post specific nutritional information on their menus.[44] Nutritional and allergen-sensitivity information of the entire menu is available upon request.

Early 2011 saw the company revise and rewrite a portion of their drink recipes to encompass trendy “skinny” cocktails.[39]

Ruby Tuesday released a cookbook on October 25, 2011 titled Simply Fresh: Casual Dining at Home by Jeff Morgan. The cookbook contains recipes that have been inspired by the menu, and even recipes that are signature to the brand.[46]

Ruby Tuesday Inc. has committed to the environmental movement with a number of initiatives aimed at reducing their waste and pollution. The program is titled “Going Green”, and includes changes in their new and existing restaurants, their Restaurant Support Center, their menus/packaging, and the partnerships with their suppliers. The company also employs a LEED professional to help with new construction design.[47]